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A Guide to Claiming Compensation For Historical Sexual Abuse

If you were a victim of sexual abuse, you are entitled to compensation. Claiming historical sexual abuse compensation is a way of holding those responsible for your horrific ordeal accountable. As sexual abuse incidents are very traumatic by nature, and abusers often manipulate or blame their victims. This means that it may be years, even decades before a victim of sexual abuse has the courage to seek justice for their sexual abuse ordeal. In this guide, we are going to look at instances where the victim is a child and may not understand what has happened to them at the time, or come forward about their sexual abuse until they are an adult. Many worry because the abuse happened in the past this means they won’t be able to claim compensation. Fortunately, this simply is not the case. If you were sexually abused in the past, you are entitled to claim historical sexual abuse compensation.

Trust Accident Claims UK, a top personal injury solicitor’s firm, to help you win your case. We specialise in claiming compensation for historical sexual abuse victims and have a great track record of winning claimants the maximum amount of compensation that they are entitled to. If you have suffered sexual abuse in then call us today on 0800 073 8801 for your free legal consultation. Our advisors are trained to deal with your call in a kind and sensitive way and any information you share with us will be treated in the strictest of confidence. If you have a legitimate claim, we will estimate how much compensation you could be awarded and will find the best personal injury solicitor to represent you, who will proceed with your claim right away.

A Guide To Historic Sexual Abuse Claims

Due to the traumatic nature of sexual abuse, it often takes many years for victims of sexual abuse to come forward and try to seek justice for their ordeal. If you were in a case of sexual abuse many years, or even decades ago, you can make a historical sexual abuse compensation claim. This includes a historical child sex abuse claim. In this guide, we will look at how to claim historical sexual abuse compensation, the time limit on making a compensation claim, and review how much compensation you could be awarded common types of sexual abuse cases.

What Is Historical Sexual Abuse?

Historical sexual abuse is defined as sexual abuse that occurred when the victim was under 18 but is now an adult. However many times that the sexual abuse happened, and whether it occurred five years ago, or fifty years ago victims are still entitled to claim compensation for their sexual abuse.

Historical Sexual Abuse Statistics

For the first time in the period from 2015-16 the Crime Survey for England and Wales asked adults about the abuse they suffered during their childhood, which included questions about sexual abuse. They found that of adults ages 16-59 2.6% of men and 10.5% of women (averaging as 6.6% of all adults) had experienced sexual abuse of one kind or another during their childhood. Sadly 0.6% of men and 3.4% of women (averaging as 2% of all adults) have experienced sexual assault or rape. These numbers include attempted sexual assault or rape.

What To Do If You Have Been A Victim Of Historical Sexual Abuse

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, there are things you can do to collect evidence to support your compensation claim. We understand that if your incident of sexual abuse happened many years ago it may be difficult to collect evidence. What’s more, it may be very traumatic for you to relive your ordeal. So contact Accident Claims UK and we will be happy to help you collect this evidence, or collect it for your on your behalf. Below are the steps you should take if you have suffered historical sexual abuse.

Write down everything you remember about your ordeal: Although it can be painful to do so, try to write down everything you remember from the incident or incidents of sexual abuse as accurately as you can. This can help your solicitor build a strong case for claiming compensation for historical sexual abuse,

Find contact details of potential witnesses: If you know of anyone who witnessed your sexual abuse, witnessed consequences of your sexual abuse, or has information to help support your claim please get their contact details if possible. Your solicitor can help you to do this, or do this on your behalf if it is necessary.

See a doctor: If you are a victim of historic sexual abuse, it is likely that your abuser left you with physical and psychological damage. To make your claim, you will need to see your doctor for an examination, to see the extent of your physical and psychological injuries. you will probably have to see a specialist psychiatrist as well. The doctor will put together a medical report which will serve as evidence in your historical child sexual abuse claim. It will diagnose your injuries and recommend the medical or psychiatric treatment you are in need of. This will help to determine how much compensation you are entitled to receive. If you wish, Accident Claims UK can arrange for you to see a doctor for a medical examination.

Please contact Accident Claims UK for help and support on how to claim compensation for historical sexual abuse.

Can You Sue Someone For Molesting You?

If you have been molested you can sue them. What’s more, you should sue them for the damage they have caused you to hold them accountable for their cruel actions. If you are still a child who has experienced sexual abuse, or you are an adult who needs to make a historical child sex abuse claim, Accident Claims UK will help you seek retribution. As well as general damages (the abuse itself and the pain and suffering it has caused), you can also sue for special damages such as any medical expenses or loss of earnings the abuse has caused you to suffer. Call Accident Claims UK to enquire about claiming compensation for your ordeal.

How To Begin Your Historical Sexual Abuse Compensation Claim

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse during your childhood, whether it occurred 5 or 50 years ago, you can make a historical sexual abuse compensation claim. The first step to making a sexual abuse compensation claim is to hire the right solicitor to handle your claim. Trust Accident Claims UK to be provided with an excellent personal injury solicitor that specialises in the cases of historical sexual abuse.

The first step is to contact Accident Claims UK for your free legal consultation. We understand that sexual abuse during your childhood is one of the most traumatic things a person can go through, so our advisors are trained to deal with your call in a kind and sensitive manner. If we establish that you have a legitimate claim to make, we will estimate how much compensation you could claim and will find the right solicitor to represent you in your claim for historical sexual abuse compensation. What’s more, Accident Claims UK’s solicitors offer you the option to have your case handled on a no win no fee basis, which means that you won’t pay us a penny until if and when you win your compensation claims case. For many compensation claimants, this is the more affordable and less stressful option as there is no upfront fee to pay.

Is There A Time Limit For Making A Sexual Abuse Claim?

Many claimants of historical sexual abuse which happened during their childhood, which may have been years or even decades ago worry that too much time has passed for them to make a compensation or claim for sexual abuse. Unfortunately, compensation claims time limits are a hindrance in the case of historic sexual abuse claims. Perpetrators often wrongly make the victim feel like they are to blame for the sexual abuse, or that the shame for the incident lies with the victim. If the victim is a young person under 18, or a small child this can be an even bigger problem as the victim is more vulnerable and less likely to understand what has happened to them. This means that victims often don’t report the sexual abuse to the police or seek any retribution for a long time after the incident has taken place. This is very problematic with regards to sexual abuse compensation claims time limits. In accordance with the Limitation Act 1980, the victim has three years from the date of knowledge of the abuse in which to make their claim, or three years since the date of their 18th birthday of the abuse happened when they were a child. If you pursue your sexual abuse compensation claim through the CICA, a time limit of two years applies to the rules above.

Fortunately, the courts recognise the delicate situation of historic child abuse and will often withdraw the time limits described above, this means that you can often pursue a historical child sex abuse claim years or even decades after the necessary time limit has expired.

What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is an executive agency which the Ministry of Justice sponsors, which handles compensation claims in England Wales and Scotland including most cases of sexual abuse. If the perpetrator of your crime was unidentified, never caught or convicted you can still make your compensation claim.

The CICA deals with cases where an individual was solely responsible for a case of historic sexual abuse. There are also scenarios where institutions or organisations are to be held at least partially accountable for historic sexual abuse if they acted negligently. This could include failing to put measures in place to protect vulnerable young people, such as safeguarding, or if they created a culture which protected the perpetrator and bullied the victims so they did not report the sexual assault, rape or abuse. We will now look at some institutional scenarios where cases of sexual abuse against children and young people have occurred.

Historical Sexual Abuse In Football

Historical Sexual Abuse Against The Workplace Claims

If you suffered historical sexual abuse in the workplace, you could be liable to claim compensation. There may have been incidents when an employer or manager offered you a promotion in exchange for sexual acts, or assaulted you and threatened your job security if you reported the abuse to HR or the police. Contact Accident Claims UK, to talk about making a sexual abuse compensation claim for the settlement you are owed for your ordeal.

Historical Sexual Abuse Claims Against The Local Authority

When you were a victim of sexual abuse, did your local authority fail to protect you. Perhaps signs of abuse were reported to social services and they failed to act, or they failed to remove you from a dangerous home situation when a family member was abusing you. Whatever happened, if your local authority and social services failed in their duty of care to protect you, you could claim compensation for historical sexual abuse. Contact Accident Claims UK to begin the case of filing for compensation.

Historical Sexual Abuse Against School Claims

If you were abused at school by a teacher or other member of staff, you may be able to claim historical abuse compensation from the school. Contact Accident Claims UK to speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be able to advise you on how to proceed with your claim.

Claiming Historical Sexual Abuse Compensation Against The Church

Churches are places where people should be able to worship and feel safe freely. Unfortunately, there have been a number of cases where members of the clergy or people in a position of power in the Church of England and the Catholic Church have sexually abused children. If you have suffered sexual abuse in a Church, a Church-run organisation or another religious building or organisation such as a Mosque or a Synagogue you could claim compensation for historic sex abuse. Contact Accident Claims UK today and we will advise you as best we can how to claim compensation for your pain and suffering.

Historical Sex Abuse Claims Against The Scouts Or Another Charity

You are entitled to compensation for victims of abuse if you were injured in the Scouts, or another children’s club run by the Scout Association such as the Cubs or the Guides. If you were molested in the Scouts, or under the care of another organisation or charity you could be entitled to historical sex abuse compensation. Don’t hesitate to call Accident Claims UK to make your compensation claim and we will be with you every step of the way.

Historic Child Sex Abuse Claims For Abuse From A Relative

Unfortunately, many historic child sex abuse claims are made by victims who suffered incestuous child sex abuse claims at the hands of a relative. This could be a member of the immediate family member or a family member who was tasked with looking after the child. This is of course unacceptable. Perpetrators deserve to be prosecuted and victims deserve to receive compensation for the suffering caused. If you call Accident Claims UK, we will deal with your claim sensitively, support you every step of the way and fight relentlessly to get you the compensation that you are entitled to.

We know that this can be a big and frightening step, but we will be with you every step of the way to make sure that you get the payout you are entitled to.

What Can You Claim For If You Have Suffered From Historical Sexual Abuse?

If you are claiming compensation for historical sexual abuse then you can claim general damages for the sexual abuse you encountered and the pain and suffering it caused you. You can also claim compensation for any expenses this historical sexual abuse caused you. This includes a loss of earnings, medical expenses including the cost of counselling or other psychological treatments and travel expenses (for example having to take taxis to the hospital to be treated for your injuries. You can also file a care claim to compensate a friend or family member, who had to take time off to care for you after you have experienced historical sexual abuse.

The Most Common Types Of Historical Abuse

Sadly there are many different types of sexual abuse that have been used to torment children. All of these acts of sexual abuse are unacceptable. We have listed different types of common acts of historical sexual abuse that victims claim. If you have suffered a form of sexual abuse that is not on this list, you may still be able to claim for compensation for it. Speak to Accident Claims UK for advise on making your historical child sex abuse claim for compensation.

Incest – Incest with regards to the sexual abuse of children happens when the child is sexually abused or raped by a member of their own family. Sadly this is the most frequent type of historical sex abuse.Sexual violence – Violence which involves violating or harming the sexual parts of the victim’s body.Sexual exploitation – Using and abusing a victim’s body for money or sexual gratification. Sadly children can be easy to take advantage of on these terms because of their dependence on adults.Sexual harassment – Bullying of a sexual nature.Sadistic sexual abuse – When the perpetrator tries to incite terror during sexual abuse. This can include using torture, restraint or mutilating the victim’s body.FGM – Female genital mutilation involves cutting the vagina. There are different forms of severity of female genital mutilation, from removing the clitoris to removing the clitoris and entire labia and sewing up the vaginal opening. This is an unacceptable form of child abuse which has been illegal in the UK since 1985.Voyeurism – Voyeurism is a form of sexual abuse that involves invading someone’s privacy secretly, or openly to sexually exploit them. It can also involve putting sexual images or videos of a child on the internet.Exposure or exhibitionism – Exposing your naked body or sexual organs to a victim to intimidate or humiliate them.Sexual assault – Sexual assault includes rape, penetration with the hand, groping and other violent attacks on a victim’s sexual body partsMolestation – Unwanted sexual stimulation to one’s genitals is defined as molestation. This can include rape and penetration.

All of the above acts are completely unacceptable. If you have been the victim of one of the above acts, or another form of historical sexual abuse then you can and should claim compensation to punish those responsible. Not only will you be seeking retribution for yourself but your bravery will encourage other people to come forward and seek justice for sexual abuse they suffered during childhood and adolescence.

Sexual Abuse Compensation Calculator

Our sexual abuse compensation calculator below lists average amounts of compensation that victims are often awarded as historical sexual abuse cases for different injuries. Of course, the settlement amounts listed in our sexual abuse compensation calculator are automated estimations. We recommend you call Accident Claims UK and one of our understanding advisors will be able to give you a more accurate estimation of how much compensation you could claim.

Type of compensation

Compensation banding

Notes

Rape

£11,000 0 £44,000

You can also claim for many additional things here in this section.

More mild or moderate psychological injuries

£1,170 - £4,450

Settlement awards could take into account the effect on sleep and a variety of psychological conditions.

More moderate psychological injuries

£4,450 - £14,500

Sufferers may experience serious problems with treatment and the sufferes ability to deal with life in general.

Mildly severe psychological injuries

£14,500 - £41,675

Similar to the previous category, but the prognosis will be worse. It may not improve over time.

Much more severe psychological injuries

£41,675 - £88,000

More severe than the previous two categories and includes the most severe psychological injuries. Potential for recovery many be much more slight.

Sexual assault which results the communication of a sexually transmitted infection (STD/STI)

£5,500 - £22,000

These refer to Sexual Transmitted Infections other than AIDS or HIV.

Mental suffering and anguish

£3,550

Fear and expectation of the end of life.

General suffering and pain

£1,000 - £200,000

Settlements will be determined by the amount of pain and suffering experienced.

Loss of potential income

£10,000 - £400,000

Loss of current or potential future income.

Loss of current and future benefits

£5,000 - £500,000

Actual loss of benefits income. This could be above the £500,000 ceiling.

No Win No Fee Historical Child Sex Abuse Claims

Whatever your personal financial situation, you can claim historical child sex abuse compensation for injuries you suffered in your childhood. Accident Claims UK offers a no win no fee service. This means that instead of paying an upfront fee, or ongoing by the hour fees, you will only pay your solicitor’s fee if you win your claim out of your final settlement. You will only pay if you win your sexual abuse compensation claim, so there is no financial risk to you. For many claimants, this is the more affordable and less stressful approach to claiming the compensation you are entitled to. Call Accident Claims UK, for more information about making a no win no fee historical; child sex abuse claim.

Why Choose Accident Claims UK?

At Accident Claims UK we appreciate that claiming compensation for historical sexual abuse is a very difficult process and it takes great courage to do so. Many victims are afraid of having to relive their ordeal in the courts, or being attacked by the perpetrator if they come forward. Please be aware that we will do everything we can to look after your mental health and emotional wellbeing when you make your claim. Your legal claim will be in good hands. Many of our solicitor’s have over 30 decades of experience winning compensation claims for victims of historical sexual abuse, like you. What’s more, it’s imperative that our solicitors will fight to win you the maximum amount of compensation you are owed for your ordeal. So don’t delay, call Accident Claims UK today for your free consultation to seek justice for your abuse.